The Idaho Supreme Court has recognized, “In the American concept, there is no greater right to the supervision of the education of the child than that of the parent. In no other hands could it be safer.” But apart from the new and limited “Empowering Parents Program,” Idaho currently facilitates such supervision solely within the restrictive confines of the state-created system. While education freedom advocates have tried to help legislators pursue the benefits of an arrangement that gives parents direct control and oversight of their children’s education, they have faced heavy opposition from those who benefit under the current system. “Education choice” simply means allowing some of a state’s education money to follow the student to the education method or school of their choice, rather than allotting all funds to the school district where the student resides. Opponents of education choice have scared legislators into believing that education choice would violate Idaho’s Constitution. They rely upon Idaho’s so-called Uniformity Clause, which creates a duty to “establish and maintain a general, uniform and thorough system of public, free common schools.” Many states with similar clauses have effective school choice programs because their state supreme courts have recognized that the provision […]
